We tried the Instagram-famous rubber mask and its exactly what you’d expect

Here’s our verdict

Ever since K-beauty introduced the world to sheet masks, there’s been a surge of them along with other kinds like splash masks, bubble masks and even foil. Another mask you’ve probably spotted popping up on your Explore feed on Instagram is the Dr Jart Hydration Lover Rubber Mask. There’s something very satisfying about watching that smooth rubber getting plastered on a person’s face compared to an ill-fitting sheet mask. Plus, it’s said to deliver the promised results as well. While the brand isn’t available in India, closer to home, Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist of The Ageless Clinic, Dr Harshna Bijlani has her own concoction as part of a facial treatment. I signed up to find out more.

The Ageless Glow Facial is one of the clinic’s most popular offerings and promises instantly brightened, cleaner and healthier skin (whatever age you may be) after the 90-minute session. My treatment started with a deep cleanse that included a face cleanser applied with a cotton pad, followed by a mild bleach to tackle discolouration. After applying a light moisturiser to calm the skin, she then exfoliated my face with their homemade fruit face scrub, loaded with brightening alpha hydroxy acids; dead cells be gone. After my face was cleansed and scrubbed, the therapist covered my skin, leaving only the nose area exposed and gave me a five-minute steam to tackle the minor blackheads and whiteheads there. The steam was followed by a clean-up—mildly-painful extractions of the ingrown sebum and hair—to rid my skin of all unwanted growth.

The therapist then wiped my skin clean with a damp cotton pad and moved on to the Galvanic Therapy—this uses metal face rollers and electric currents to smoothen and firm your face; that I was scared is an understatement. The therapist telling me that these huge metal sticks won’t hurt felt a lot like my doctor assuring me that the huge needle he held in his hand is “nothing”; but that wasn’t the case, thankfully. She massaged a soothing gold particle-infused aloe vera gel all over my face and then ran the rollers over it, from the centre moving outwards on each side. This helped to smoothen any small lines and also ensured that my skin stayed firm.

Now for the most interesting bit, their Ageless Glow Mask. This in-house powder concoction is made of grape extracts and rose oil to leave your skin with a hydrating glow. When mixed with room temperature water, the powder turns to a sticky, rubbery substance that is continuously whipped and then quickly applied onto the face and neck. In a quick minute, the mask hardened and turned to dry rubber and was left on my skin for 10 minutes—the mask can be applied over your eyes as well as it helps with dark circles.

After the stipulated time, she loosened the mask from the edges of my face, as you would a cake from its mould. The best part about this mask has to be how effortless it was to take it off, none of the 1,000 splashes of water or mess involved with clay versions. Once my face was cleaned, the therapist applied their signature nutrient-rich Glow Serum and left it on for about two minutes and then wiped it down. She completed the treatment with a lightweight moisturiser and informed me to wash it off before I went to bed with only water to avoid any reactions.

The result: The treatment comes with hardly any downtime as I was permitted to use make-up within half an hour of completion. While my skin looked brighter instantly (as it should with any facial), this time around, it did so even after a night of little sleep and many drinks. We’ve found a winner!

The treatment costs Rs 2,370 and is available at The Ageless Clinic in Bandra, Cuffe Parade and Versova in Mumbai.